Trump Melting Down
Publicly, Trump touts the “Fake News” media war.
Privately, he worries about virus-carrying journalists on Air Force One.
Please consider “He’s Definitely Melting Down“
“He is trying to control the narrative and he can’t,” a former West Wing official told me.
“So much FAKE NEWS!” Trump tweeted this morning. “He wants Justice to open investigations of the media for market manipulation,” a source close to the White House told me. Trump is also frustrated with his West Wing for not getting a handle on the news cycle. “He’s very frustrated he doesn’t have a good team around him,” a former White House official said. On Friday he forced out acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and replaced him with former House Freedom Caucus chair Mark Meadows.
Trump has also complained that economic adviser Larry Kudlow is not doing enough to calm jittery markets. Last week Kudlow refused Trump’s request that Kudlow hold an on-camera press briefing, sources said. “Larry didn’t want to have to take questions about coronavirus,” a person close to Kudlow told me. “Larry’s not a doctor. How can he answer questions about something he doesn’t know?”
Trump found a willing surrogate in Kellyanne Conway, but Conway’s dubious claim on Friday that the virus “is being contained” only made the P.R. situation worse.
By now many of the president’s advisers are numb to this kind of performance. “There’s very little that fazes anyone now,” a former official said. But one person who spoke to the president over the weekend saw the press conference as an ominous sign. “He’s just now waking up to the fact that this is bad, and he doesn’t know how to respond.”
Stories about Trump’s coronavirus fears have spread through the White House. Last week Trump told aides he’s afraid journalists will try to purposefully contract coronavirus to give it to him on Air Force One, a person close to the administration told me. The source also said Trump has asked the Secret Service to set up a screening program and bar anyone who has a cough from the White House grounds. “He’s definitely melting down over this,” the source said.
The article is by Gabriel Sherman on Vanity Fair. That is a publication I seldom quote because I generally do not trust extreme Left wing opinion sources. For that matter I seldom quote extreme Right wing opinion sources for the same reason.
Is any of it out of context? Perhaps. But the overall story rings true.
If the story was mostly made up, I would be shocked, and I don’t shock easily.
Cancel Rallies?
“I’m not going to do it,” Trump says.
Why?
He wants adoration. He thrives on it. He desperately needs it.
Type-A vs Type-B TDS
If you think Trump’s coronavirus bravado is 4-D or any other dimensional chess, you have TDS Type-A.
For a discussion of the two types of TDS, please see Trump “I Know So Much About the Coronavirus Because of Natural Ability”
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
No one can fix this. Even though the numbers in China have fallen, unless they wait for 100% negative tests, Corona Virus will flare up as soon as the quarantine is lifted. Slowing the spread allows the medical system not to be so overloaded, but that is traded for economic damage. How long can things be shut down before the economic damage causes more loss of life than the virus? And it won’t stop the virus in any case
Every one without natural immunity is going to get it. Period. Plan on it. Plan on losing an aunt, uncle or parent.
There is no good way to handle this. I wish there were.
The goal is to flatten the curve, so not everyone is sick at the same time, and to buy enough time for a vaccine.
Folks Trump can’t fix a virus until a vaccine is created and that takes time. Trump did stop air travel from China way ahead of the media cry.But take comfort in knowing that the annual FLU has killed many more humans than this corolla virus this year But just enjoy the panic and understand its 1984 control via media
Trump evidently just scrapped the co-pay for tests! Isn’t that a very function of government? Co-pay? They should be free for the collective benefit! Maybe there’s a better analogy but here’s mine:
200,000 Russian soldiers are attacking our East Coast. They are poor and have said many times if Trump gives them $500 each they will put down their nuclear/bio/arms and surrender. Trump says “Hell No! I’m not giving those Russians any money!.”
“Trump evidently just scrapped the co-pay for tests! “
I thought Pence just said he had gotten insurers to waive them. Which still leaves the problem of the uninsured. Are the Feds reimbursing tests for uninsureds directly now?
And what about “illegals.” Those guys are just as contagious as anybody else. And take up scarce ICUs just as much as “natives”, if they hold off until things are critical, because they don’t dare to go to the doctor for fear of being deported……
Like anything else of any seriousness, you can’t beat this with half hearted measures, while worrying about all kinds of other concerns, priorities and dumb shit at the same time.
Trump is starting to remind me of this.
Anyone that eats at random Mcdonald’s restaurants in order to avoid having their food poisoned would for sure be worried about getting the virus. My catapult is ready first thing i’m going to do is fling dead bodies over Pelosi’s fence.
I didn’t know he did that.
It’s actually reassuring to know the guy is aware enough to see the value of randomization. Intuitively grasping that, and why, RAID trumps promises and “guarantees” “signed off on” to “not fail” by some sales hack in a fancy suit.
If we’re lucky, maybe the hip shooting insanity is just a ploy to keep his “adversaries” off guard as well. And he turns out to be more focused than he has let on, once he recognizes he faces a serious threat for the first time in his life.
I’m not holding my breath, but one can always hope…
“He’s very frustrated he doesn’t have a good team around him,”
He’s the one that picked a bunch of religious whackos and ass kissers from Goldman sachs. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
Financialization inevitably leads to all available “Leaders” being incompetent self promoters, and nothing else.
When all wealth, rank and influence is doled out by way of Fed, political and arbitrary “legal” fiat; and enrichment and empowerment of well connected dilettantes; rather than by way of any real merit nor competence; you end up with all resources being commanded by child brained, but ever so cocksure dunces.
How can a President who boasts about grabbing women in the crouch, be a germaphobe??? Also, what’s the difference between
President Trump, and Bozo the Clown…there is none! Actually there is, one has a white face and orange hair, and the other has an orange face and white hair!!! Oh you are killing me..
Trump is not a person, he’s a brand. His whole psyche & ego is intertwined with his public image.
His communication style is that of a carnival barker. Always attempting to interject the Trump brand into any topic.
Once i started viewing him this way, a lot of his actions & words were more explainable.
Helpful metaphor.
Trump is a master at controlling the story in the media, at overshadowing stories that paint him in a bad light by being outrageous and sucking up all the oxygen. He can’t do it here—the stock market is taking big hits and coronavirus is causing additional panic. He is trying to change the narrative but things are now spinning out of control for him. He will likely fire some more of his ‘team’ and make some big announcements, in order to get the media to focus on him once again. I don’t see that strategy working this time, it is like his hair is on fire and he can’t put it out.
The only question is whether Biden can manage to stumble over the finish line. He may end up bewildered and forget which race he is in or which way he is going, giving Trump the ability to win again.
I think Mish is the one melting down as his favorite candidates drop out of the race.
link to youtube.com
Germ phobia is like the “kitchen sink” for the Dems. Hang in there! We’re almost through this thing.
Maybe he doesn’t want to cancel his rallies because in a weird twisted narcissistic way he thinks they may have something to do with getting reelected.
Not to be cruel, but Trump and Biden passing away from the virus wouldn’t be all bad.
The press conference today with Pence and others should scare us all. They looked like deer in the headlights. It reminded me of GWB during Katrina (Brownie your doing a heckuva job). Many of these Republicans are cut from the same cloth – they don’t fundamentally believe in any government of any kind and would rather let chaos rule the day. This is why the Republican party has been a miserable failure after GHWB. It is telling a Republican mayor in town Trump won 54-42 against Clinton in 2016 is now endorsing Joe Biden for President (even before the primaries are over). He says Trump is “deranged”.
While Taylor, a life-long Republican, voted for President Donald Trump in 2016, he said he would cast his ballot for Biden this year because Trump is “deranged.”
“I think Joe Biden is the candidate who can unify all of the Democrats and he’s the candidate who can appeal to moderates and Republicans like me who don’t want to see four more years of President Trump,” Taylor said, according to the Chicago Tribune on Monday.
“I remember thinking this Trump thing is insane, but when it was down to him and Hillary, I kind of said, ‘Well, you are a Republican, and yeah he’s nuts, but maybe he’ll get better and you know he’s going to lower taxes,” Taylor said. “I slowly talked myself into it. ‘He can’t seriously be this deranged once he gets in there,’ and he’s even more deranged now than I thought then. So, I take the blame. I voted for him.
It is a fake unity and i am sure Taylor knows that. It is collusion against Sanders, by the party elites. Shut up and vote for who we tell you to. I’ll pass. That isn’t democracy. Attacking Quid Pro Quo, then telling people to vote for Quid Pro Quo is political fraud.
Taylor can believe what he wants about Trump, but having watched enough of him in various settings, i do not find him to be delusional. Trump has been attacked by elites since day one, even to the point of illegal and corrupt government actions against him. What is delusional is that people accept this kind of behavior by our government.
I’d vote for Trump before i would vote for any professional politician.
“Many of these Republicans are cut from the same cloth – they don’t fundamentally believe in any government of any kind and would rather let chaos rule the day.”
If only.
Of course, reality is the exact opposite. There hasn’t
been a Republican administration which hasn’t grown government since forever.
They’re politicians. No different from members of any other party. They steal productive people’s stuff, and take away people’s freedoms. That’s what they do. The rest is just branding and theater.
No offense, but it appears that Joe Biden can’t even unify his own thoughts or remember his own name… O’Biden anyone! Let alone the Democratic party. Your down to 3 candidates, Trump the Narcissist, O’Biden headed for the Alzheimer’s ward or Bernie the Cuba & Venezuela Cheerleader. Trump may be somewhat crazy, but O’Biden is gonna end up in a fist fight with somebody at one of his rallies at the rate he’s going and God help us if he’d get elected & have to deal with North Korea and make a major gaffe! Bernie ain’t gonna make it because the Dem’s can’t afford to have him win and take the Democratic party as well as America down the Socialist rabbit hole and turn us into Venezuela. It ain’t pretty folks, but we are exactly where we were 4 years ago. Trump may be annoying & only worried about the economy but OBiden will be lucky to remain cognizant up to the November election let alone trying to withstand the rigors of the Presidency and sorry, ain’t going for Bernie, I’ve seen the Socialist Revolution tried in too many other countries and it never ends well!
The candidate in the middle is Biden. He is less liberal than Obama and not a revolutionary. Trump is governing for his 25% but even they are not doing so great anymore. My oh my how things have changed as the calendar turns. Days are going be long and 2019 is going feel like it never happen come summer.
Two comments in that article give me hope. The first is that “[Trump]’s just now waking up to the fact that this is bad, and he doesn’t know how to respond.” Better late than never. I hope he wakes up soon.
The second is that Kudlow doesn’t want to take questions about the coronavirus because he realizes that he doesn’t know anything about it. Of course, he doesn’t belong on the coronavirus task force, but at least knowing that he doesn’t have any answers is a start.
He doesn’t know anything about economics but he thinks he does and is happy to answer any questions.
Maybe I should read the whole article. But, judging by the last paragraph quoted, it seems a rather strange article, indeed. What in that last paragraph isn’t common sense? For instance, why would the Secret Service not be on the lookout for someone intentionally trying to get C19 in to the White House?
The whole quote sounds like a bunch of chatter-words decorating an editorial fussing about some imaginary “Trump”. Content free.
This is not to excuse Trump’s response to C19. I personally think he could and should do better. But, then, I think going to a president about any “natural disaster” in the post-2000 world is a waste of time – an activity good only for keeping useless klutzes busy and out of our hair.
Please, Mish, move on.
For better or worse, he’s still President…
And, he’s very likely to win re-election….
Bottom line, if you think he’s a buffoon, grow some balls, run for President and show us all that you can beat him…
Climbing into the pen to wrestle a pig is an exercise in frustration.
You both end up getting covered in mud and pig crap…
And the pig likes it.
I think he will lose the election.
He’s coming unglued.
This makes sense.
He may be stubborn, but he can’t be so bull-headed as to ignore what’s happening in Italy with their case load doubling every three days since 13 February and 10% of the infected requiring hospitalization.
Even he is smart enough to understand that at that rate, they will reach a half million cases with 50000 critical in about 15 days and that both numbers will double again a few days later – and again a few days later. This doesn’t bode well.
Not to mention the fact that he recently had that asshat congressman (the one who wore the gas mask making fun of people “panicking”) with him on Air Force One. And that guy is now self-isolating because of repeated contact with an infected person at some event he attended prior to the AF1 visit.
Yeah.
I’d say he’s probably soiling his boxers about now…
Now would be a good time for him to get on TV and admit that he may have been incorrect and that he accepts responsibility for that and lay out a concrete plan for moving forward.
Or he can double down on the “not as bad as the flu” routine. Which is my guess for what he will do…
There’s a hard limit on how many times the cases can double in Italy.
It’s much lower than “log base 2 of the Italian population.”
Exponential projections applied to constants… kinda silly.
Sure there’s a limit.
Once the virus starts having difficulty finding unexposed hosts the doubling time will begin to extend in incremental amounts.
Given that people can be asymptomatic for days while still being contagious, I wouldn’t want to bet we’d hit that point in less than 20 days given they just went into full lock-down yesterday.
But you can bet on it if you like.
While I would love to see a cohesive response grounded in science from the White House, if it involves Trump saying in any way that he was incorrect and accepting any responsibility for something that went wrong, it will never happen.
in his mind, he likely does no wrong so he’s unable to admit personal err.
We need to be careful ploting virus trajectories based on going from zero knowledge to “some” knowledge of the infected. What science can predict is always dependent on the qualities of the measuring device, the number and randomness of the samples. Science can only see what it can see, and in the worst of hands it can only show what the experimentor wants to show.
I agree that you have to be careful. And that’s easy in a lab or controlled environment – or when you’re looking back and analyzing data from events that have already happened. However, in this case, all we can do is work with the knowledge we have because this isn’t a controlled experiment and we are living in the middle of it. We won’t know the true extent of any of this until we can analyze the data once it’s over – which is exactly why you can’t start assessing mortality rates at this point. We can try to assess the growth rate and the % of cases that end up critical based on the real-time data.
When looking at reported numbers, it is safe to assume that no country is going to over-report the number of infected, critical, and/or dead – not unless they expect some sort of monetary aid and in this case, that’s not happening. If anything, countries will under-report because showing that they are less-infected might help them symbolically, optically, and/or economically.
Given those assumptions, someone can look at all the numbers coming out of every country and make at least an educated guess as to who is telling anything close to the truth. For me, at this point in time, that’s Italy.
From there, it’s not hard to do a day-to-day change in the numbers and see what’s happening. The argument can be made that the jumps are due to expanded testing and that some of those already had it, but at the end of the day, that’s just semantics. The total number of cases is still the total number of cases no matter when they were contracted. Plus, serious/critical is remaining at around 10% as the total expands. And 10% of a million is still 100K.
Finally, if you read some threads on Twitter posted by Italian healthcare workers – doctors specifically – you will find that hospitals and staff are already overwhelmed…
I have no desire for anyone to panic. I just think it’s irresponsible for any government to tell people that Covid-19 is “just like the flu” or “not as bad as the flu” based on the running mortality rate because if reality separates far enough from the fantasy of those assurances, an even worse panic will ensue. And when the dust finally clears, the trust between government and governed may be irreparable.
Anyone notice the market? He’s not the only one having a melt down. When folks get upset they do and say crazy things.
Trump isn’t a complicated person and he is straightforward compared to other politicians. That said, the Vanity Fair article rings true. He probably didn’t take the virus seriously until the last few days and is probably freaking out now, both about his own health and being unable to control the narrative for the first time.
Mish is dead on about Trump’s unwillingness to cancel rallies. He is a narcissist and the energy he gets from a live crowd is mana to him. Mugging at a podium is his happy place.
If Trump wants to direct his wrath at the clowns he surrounded himself with, people like Kudlow, Mnuchin, Pompeo, and Rudy 911iani, I’m all for it. Blast away, Donnie!
“Kudlow, Mnuchin, Pompeo, and Rudy” sure does sound like a group of clowns!
It’s all which is left of “the elite”, after 50 years or run amuck Fed redistribution of all wealth and resources from competent people to rank idiots.
Oh please. Trump declared an emergency and restricted travel from China when?
The Left, of which you are clearly a member, cannot control their emotional dissonance.
It’s hard to watch this country sink.
He has completely F*cked up the response to this virus. It’s going to be horrible.
God help us.